ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fine — all right
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. clip — for paper
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. clip — a video
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com